Energy saving traffic lights don't melt snow/ice, causing accidents
cuh...@webtv.net
That is ''progress'', and those energy saving home flourescent light
bulbs, ''progress''.
Who needs that crap?
I Don't!
cuhulin
Tegger
3171.bay.webtv.net:
We get some pretty awful snow up here, and we don't seem to have that
problem with the LED lights. Our traffic-light bulbs usually have fairly
deep "hoods" above them, which may be the reason why.
--
Tegger
twisted
> cuhu...@webtv.net wrote innews:8192-4B28F659-5270@storefull-
Did you look at the picture? These have hoods.
Vic Smith
Back to the drawing board. They'll probably retrofit heaters on them
for the winter.
Electricians should be busy.
--Vic
m6onz5a
>
> - Show quoted text -
so if they install heaters where is the savings on electricity usage?
Vic Smith
I figure with the electronic controls they have now, the heater would
be turned on only when needed - maybe 4 months a year.
Or maybe it'll be cheaper to go back to bulbs that produce heat.
Don't know, just speculating.
--Vic
M.M.
It's not just the energy savings, the LED's last much longer than the
incandescents, like years compared to months, so there's a big savings
there. Plus, the heaters would probably be used only when necessary.
They'd still be way ahead.
twisted
>and we don't seem to have that problem with the LED lights.
>
> --
> Tegger
Seems odd. Article says the LED are the ones causing problems.
fred
news:8192-4B28...@storefull-3171.bay.webtv.net:
Traffic lights are *supposed* to melt snow? I thought that's what salt
was for.
Tegger
0417fc...@u20g2000vbq.googlegroups.com:
I hadn't actually looked at any picture. I just did now.
We just had a very similar snow last week. All the signs were covered
exactly like in the picture, so you couldn't tell what street you were at
or what lane was supposed to turn what way, and so on. But the LED traffic
lights remained clearly visible.
There might be some other factor at work here to produce the result shown
in the photo. Maybe they're using smaller lights than we do?
--
Tegger
Tegger
Who puts salt on traffic lights?
--
Tegger
Pete C.
Heater controls could easily have a sensor mounted at the end of the
hood looking back at the signal to determine if the light was being
blocked by sticky snow. Only having heaters on when it's cold and there
is snow obscuring the signal would maintain nearly all of the LED
signal's energy savings since sticky blowing snow is pretty infrequent
in most places.
Paul
I like the CFL's for trouble lights.
They don't get very hot and are less
prone to breakage.
WW
"m6onz5a" <cor...@comcast.net> wrote in message
news:0e0be18a-c695-4dbe...@p30g2000vbt.googlegroups.com...
They would have a thermostat with the heater to only heat in a certain
temperature. WW
cuh...@webtv.net
popcorn popper in my old shed to warm my hands and face.
cuhulin
fred
news:Xns9CE3D36...@208.90.168.18:
*really* big trucks going by <g>.
Mental slip - I was thinking of the intersection itself as opposed to
the immediate vicinity and housing of the light itself.
Mike Romain
It is really Bad!
We have only had a couple inches of blowing sticky snow on the east
coast and have noticed a 'lot' of those LED traffic lights with their
deep hoods stuffed full of snow. Totally! They would be better off with
no hoods, but then they can't be aimed at the correct lane...
The LED's also don't have the illumination to show at all in the
daylight when snow covered. Haven't been out at night in the snow yet
to see if they are maybe visible then.
You also just gotta love the local heating fuel companies giving away a
half dozen of those compact fluorescent bulbs to each house! LOL! BTU's
are BTU's and without the 60 or 100 watts from the incandescent bulbs
you burn more fuel. It is to the point the local media are saying you
should only use the CF lights in the summer....
Mike (up in The Great White North)
2000 Cherokee Sport
86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG AT's, 'glass nose to tail in '00
'New' frame and everything else in '09. Some Canadian Bush Trip and
Build Photos: http://mikeromainjeeptrips.shutterfly.com
Scott Dorsey
>
>You also just gotta love the local heating fuel companies giving away a
>half dozen of those compact fluorescent bulbs to each house! LOL! BTU's
>are BTU's and without the 60 or 100 watts from the incandescent bulbs
>you burn more fuel. It is to the point the local media are saying you
>should only use the CF lights in the summer....
Much as I hate those damn CF lights, even I have to admit that the cost of
a watt of electricity is a lot more than the cost of a watt of heating oil.
So you're still saving money, just not so much.
--scott
--
"C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."
aemeijers
> twisted <thenited...@yahoo.com> wrote in news:b5601f6c-f130-4f2a-ba27-
> 0417fc9f9...@u20g2000vbq.googlegroups.com:
with something? Teflon spray? PAM? I can see problems with a retrofit,
but if you are designing a new light from scratch, making it snow-
resistant should be possible.
Vic Smith
<aeme...@gmail.com> wrote:
>On Dec 16, 7:46 pm, Tegger <inva...@invalid.inv> wrote:
>> twisted <thenited...@yahoo.com> wrote in news:b5601f6c-f130-4f2a-ba27-
>> 0417fc9f9...@u20g2000vbq.googlegroups.com:
>>
>>
>> There might be some other factor at work here to produce the result shown
>> in the photo. Maybe they're using smaller lights than we do?
>>
>> --
>Maybe they keep the lenses and insides of the hood clean and coat them
>with something? Teflon spray? PAM? I can see problems with a retrofit,
>but if you are designing a new light from scratch, making it snow-
>resistant should be possible.
Just takes the right combination of precipitation and atmospheric
conditions to coat just about anything.
Remember that big ice storm in Quebec a few years ago?
Took me a long time to clean the snow from my car this morning.
Stiff couple inches on top, and about 1/4" icy sticking stuff under
it.
The sticking stuff was laid down at right around 32 F, then covered
by more snow that stuck to that according to temp gradient.
Had to basically scrape on the paint to get it off, so I left that
part there and just removed the bulk of it so it wouldn't fly off in
big chunks on the highway.
The stuff was stuck on the side of the car too.
Had to pry the doors open.
We've all seen this kind of thing happen in snowland.
How many words do the eskimos have for snow?
They probably have a word for the snow that gets stuck to LEDs.
I like it better with crust on top. A lot easier to get it off.
Best is no crust at all. No, best is water that rolls off.
But I keep a regular household straw broom in my car in the winter.
I can clear 4 inches of unstuck snow off the entire car in about a
minute, even if it's heavy snow.
The stuff on my car this morning would have stuck to an LED too with
enough wind to move it sideways.
Probably an fairly unusual occupance, but when it happens to
stoplights it becomes a more serious issue.
I suspect the only way to prevent it entirely is with heat, but maybe
there's a miracle coating out there.
$41,345.00 per 2 ounce container.
--Vic
Tegger
news:60dti55si6htg1ii1...@4ax.com:
> Took me a long time to clean the snow from my car this morning.
> Stiff couple inches on top, and about 1/4" icy sticking stuff under
> it.
> The sticking stuff was laid down at right around 32 F, then covered
> by more snow that stuck to that according to temp gradient.
> Had to basically scrape on the paint to get it off, so I left that
> part there and just removed the bulk of it so it wouldn't fly off in
> big chunks on the highway.
> The stuff was stuck on the side of the car too.
> Had to pry the doors open.
> We've all seen this kind of thing happen in snowland.
That is the WORST kind of stuff to have on your car.
My car has frameless windows. When we get the ice-sheet stuff, I can't even
open my doors until I thump my fist all around the window perimeter so as
to crack the ice sufficient to get the door open. And when it does open,
there's this ominous crrreeeaaakkk noise that makes you swear the weather
stripping is going to tear right off.
And then there are my absolutely stupid semi-concealed wipers. Buried just
deep enough to make ice removal devilishly difficult, but not deep enough
to avoid ice buildup to begin with. Thanks Honda.
> How many words do the eskimos have for snow?
Apparently about 15, it seems. That would include the many variants that
exist in Eskimo languages just as they do in English.
I never thought to look this up until now, but...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eskimo_words_for_snow
> They probably have a word for the snow that gets stuck to LEDs.
> I like it better with crust on top. A lot easier to get it off.
> Best is no crust at all. No, best is water that rolls off.
If you're going to have ice, the best is snow first, then ice on top of
that.
> I suspect the only way to prevent it entirely is with heat, but maybe
> there's a miracle coating out there.
> $41,345.00 per 2 ounce container.
Cocaine? I'm sure it's wonderfully fun and effective, but the DEA may not
like that too much.
--
Tegger
Vic Smith
wrote:
>
>My car has frameless windows. When we get the ice-sheet stuff, I can't even
>open my doors until I thump my fist all around the window perimeter so as
>to crack the ice sufficient to get the door open. And when it does open,
>there's this ominous crrreeeaaakkk noise that makes you swear the weather
>stripping is going to tear right off.
>
Got a can of silicone weatherstrip conditioner at O'Reillys a couple
weeks ago when I picking up other parts, since the doors stick bad in
the right conditions.
Parts guy recommended it, but he may be wrong.
Don't know how it will work. I was too lazy to apply it, and now I'll
wait a few days, when it's supposed to get above freezing.
Used WD-40 in the past, but it doesn't last long, and might be bad for
the rubber anyway.
Think I used a silicone grease stick once year too.
But you need something that soaks into the weatherstrip and keeps the
moisture out.
Anybody have recommendations?
>And then there are my absolutely stupid semi-concealed wipers. Buried just
>deep enough to make ice removal devilishly difficult, but not deep enough
>to avoid ice buildup to begin with. Thanks Honda.
>
My Chevys are just as bad.
I was cussing about it this morning. Got the wipers free, but ended
up with more junk in that reset than when I started.
Only practical way to clean there is to open the hood. Needless to
say, that's a bridge too far.
>
--Vic
Tegger
> On Mon, 21 Dec 2009 00:23:57 +0000 (UTC), Tegger <inv...@invalid.inv>
> wrote:
>
>>
>>My car has frameless windows. When we get the ice-sheet stuff, I can't
>>even open my doors until I thump my fist all around the window
>>perimeter so as to crack the ice sufficient to get the door open. And
>>when it does open, there's this ominous crrreeeaaakkk noise that makes
>>you swear the weather stripping is going to tear right off.
>>
> Got a can of silicone weatherstrip conditioner at O'Reillys a couple
> weeks ago when I picking up other parts, since the doors stick bad in
> the right conditions.
> Parts guy recommended it, but he may be wrong.
> Don't know how it will work.
It doesn't. Maybe it does if you really slather it on like butter on toast,
but I never did that.
--
Tegger
T
fred
news:e7f25ebf-cf7a-4621...@26g2000yqo.googlegroups.com:
> On Dec 16, 7:46�pm, Tegger <inva...@invalid.inv> wrote:
>> twisted <thenited...@yahoo.com> wrote in
>> news:b5601f6c-f130-4f2a-ba27-
>> 0417fc9f9...@u20g2000vbq.googlegroups.com:
>.
> Maybe they keep the lenses and insides of the hood clean and coat them
> with something? Teflon spray? PAM? I can see problems with a retrofit,
> but if you are designing a new light from scratch, making it snow-
> resistant should be possible.
>
Buckyballs or buckminsterfullerene. No, it's *not* what you think, nor is
it made of it.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buckminsterfullerene#.22Buckyball.22
Frictionless as space apparently.
fred
news:Xns9CE7CCDD...@208.90.168.18:
Just idle the car in the driveway until it starts to melt. Removing the
surface snow speeds that up. Remote starters have a real use you know.
cuh...@webtv.net
ice and snow.Lowe's and some other home building supply stores sell
flexible plastic hoses of various diameters.
Fortunately, we don't get much ice and snow here.Some years, we don't
get any ice and or snow at all.
Suppose to get up to 60 degrees here tomorrow and about 65 degrees on
Tuesday and a few degrees higher than that on Wednesday.I Will Take It!
cuhulin
Mike Romain
> On Mon, 21 Dec 2009 00:23:57 +0000 (UTC), Tegger <inv...@invalid.inv>
> wrote:
>
>> My car has frameless windows. When we get the ice-sheet stuff, I can't even
>> open my doors until I thump my fist all around the window perimeter so as
>> to crack the ice sufficient to get the door open. And when it does open,
>> there's this ominous crrreeeaaakkk noise that makes you swear the weather
>> stripping is going to tear right off.
>>
> Got a can of silicone weatherstrip conditioner at O'Reillys a couple
> weeks ago when I picking up other parts, since the doors stick bad in
> the right conditions.
> Parts guy recommended it, but he may be wrong.
I have had my weatherstripping tear when frozen to the door frame, more
than once and now use that spray silicone weatherstrip conditioner and
it has worked very well.
Mike
Tegger
What if you can't get into the car in the first place? That was the problem
I was faced with and why the silicone was suggested as a preventive.
And even if I did have a remote starter, it would take at least a half-hour
of idling to melt that kind of ice.
--
Tegger
cuh...@webtv.net
stuff.
Some people like to warm up their cars while they go back in their homes
for a second cup of coffee.When they go back outside, their cars are
Gone!
cuhulin
cuh...@webtv.net
edges should help with getting the door open.
cuhulin
APLer
news:Xns9CE860DD...@208.90.168.18:
Well, perhaps less, but if you leave the heater on it will be and besides
it brings the oil up to temperature before you drive. Always a good idea
anyways.
hls
"fred" <fr...@bedrock.rock> wrote in message
news:Xns9CE7E51...@127.0.0.1...
Those things can be dangerous. I wouldnt play around with them (although I
doubt you can buy them easily and cheaply)